EdTechSR Ep 308 Exploring AI in Education

Welcome to episode 308 (“Exploring AI in Education”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 25, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of topics, focusing on the integration and implications of AI in education. Wes Fryer shared insights from his teaching experiences in Matthews, North Carolina, covering web design, computer applications, media literacy, and computer programming. Jason Neiffer talked about his involvement in meetings for the Montana Digital Academy discussing distance learning and AI, emphasizing the necessity for educators to engage with AI tools. Key discussions revolved around AI, including teachers’ awareness and concerns, and the need to focus on the learning process with AI in classrooms. The conversation touched upon technology news, AI experiments, and the ethical challenges posed by AI in educational settings. Social media’s influence on students and legal issues surrounding Meta were also discussed, along with the time teens spend on social media and the critical role of parental involvement. The episode featured conversations about AI’s role in generating academic content, and its integration in tools like Gmail for better email management. The episode concluded with a focus on Google’s AI-enhanced search features and the significant challenges AI presents in the educational landscape. “Geeks of the Week” included the Duck Duck Go web browser, Native iOS Voice Dictation in Chrome, Google’s SGE, a “Minecraft Mars Colony” coding project, Wes’ new background video, and Wes’ AI Tips and Tricks Google Doc. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Wes Experiments with AI: (student) Gamma.app Generated Websites
  10. ISTE’s Stretch AI: https://info.iste.org/stretch-ai
  11. Bard can now connect to your Google apps and services (Google Blog, 19 Sept 2023)
  12. 33 States Sue Meta, Say It Knowingly Addicted Kids to Social Media (Gizmodo, 24 Oct 2023)
  13. Teens Spend Average of 4.8 Hours on Social Media Per Day (Gallup; 13 October 2023)
  14. Jim Jordan’s Conspiratorial Quest for Power: How the Ohio Republican built an insurgent bid for Speaker on the lies of Donald Trump. (New Yorker, 21 Oct 2023)
  15. Google’s AI-powered search experience can now generate images, write drafts (TechCrunch, 12 Oct 2023)
  16. Qualcomm will try to have its Apple Silicon moment in PCs with “Snapdragon X” (Ars Technica; 11 October 2023)
  17. Jason’s Geek of the Week: DuckDuckGo Browser, for Windows and Mac
  18. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Native iOS Voice Dictation in ChromeGoogle’s SGEMinecraft Mars ColonyWes’ new background videoWes’ AI Tips and Tricks
EdTechSR Ep 308 Exploring AI in Education” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 307: AI-Driven Education Insights

Welcome to episode 307 (“AI-Driven Education Insights”) of the EdTech Situation Room from October 11, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of pressing topics in the intersection of technology and education. They delved into the latest developments in AI and its impact on educational practices, with a specific focus on how AI tools are transforming teaching methodologies and student engagement. The episode also covered the recent advancements and the educational applications of the Raspberry Pi 5, emphasizing its significance in the Maker movement and STEM education. Furthermore, the hosts explored the evolving landscape of tech policy, highlighting key legislative changes that affect both educators and students. They provided insights into the shifting paradigms of social media monetization, discussing how these changes influence digital literacy and online behavior among students. The episode also touched upon the advancements in voice technology and the critical aspect of user security, particularly in educational settings. “Geeks of the Week” included Librarian AI: “Discover your next favorite book Powered by AI,” a podcast interview with one of Wes’ middle school students who moderates commercial livestreams, and support for Mastodon Lists in Flipboard. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Actor Stephen Fry says his voice was stolen from the Harry Potter audiobooks and replicated by AI—and warns this is just the beginning (Fortune, 15 Sept 2023) – Archive.Ph Link
  10. Activist Hackers Are Racing Into the Israel-Hamas War—for Both Sides (Wired, 9 Oct 2023)
  11. MakerSpace Warfare: “In Ukraine, explosive DIY drones give an intimate view of killing” (Washington Post, 4 Oct 2023) #GiftLink
  12. Why NASA Chose WordPress for Revamping Its Flagship Website (WP Tavern, 6 Oct 2023)
  13. For All Userkind: NASA Web Modernization and WordPress (VIDEO, 47 min)
  14. Digital Empires: A Conversation with Anu Bradford (Tech Policy Press podcast, 8 Oct 2023)
  15. The Supreme Court will decide if state laws limiting social media platforms violate the Constitution (AP, 29 Sept 2023)
  16. Food Science: Stories about things we eat (The Story Collider podcast, 8 Sept 2023)
  17. Meta Plans to Charge $14 a Month for Ad-Free Instagram or Facebook (The Wall Street Journal; 3 October 2023)
  18. Google Kills Jamboard: “The next phase of digital whiteboarding for Google Workspace” (Google Workspace blog, 28 Sept 2023)
  19. The Teacher’s Guide for Transitioning from Jamboard to FigJam (Tom Mullaney, 28 Sept 2023)
  20. FigJam for Schools Advanced Webinar (Eric Curts, 11 Oct 2023)
  21. Google’s 7-Year commitment to Pixel 8 is for both software and hardware alike (ChromeUnboxed; 10 October 2023)
  22. Introducing Chromebook Plus: the new standard for fast, capable, fun-to-use devices [VIDEO] (Chrome Unboxed; 2 October 2023)
  23. Google is already bringing back the software features it removed because of Sonos’ lawsuit (Verge, 10 Oct 2023)
  24. The Raspberry Pi 5 is finally here (The Verge; 28 September 2023)
  25. The Death of Netflix DVD Marks the Loss of Something Even Bigger (Slate; 21 September 2023)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://www.librarian-ai.com/ 
  27. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Ep 482: Moderating Livestreams with Cool Kicks – An Interview with 7th Grader “G”Flipboard Supports Mastodon Lists!
EdTechSR Ep 307: AI-Driven Education Insights” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 306 Multimodal AI: Ethical Dilemmas

Welcome to episode 306 (“Multimodal AI: Ethical Dilemmas”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 27, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a broad spectrum of topics at the intersection of technology and education. Key discussions included the latest advancements in artificial intelligence, particularly multimodal capabilities of ChatGPT and the ethical concerns surrounding technologies like Clearview AI. Jason Neiffer shared his insights on the iPhone 15 Pro, delving into its features and potential drawbacks. The episode also covered social media developments, notably Twitter’s Community Notes feature aimed at mitigating misinformation. Further, the hosts examined the integration of AI in various platforms, such as Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s recent projects, highlighting the swift progress and expansive potential of AI in everyday applications. Real-world perspectives were provided through Jason’s experiences with student groups and Wesley’s classroom interactions, offering practical viewpoints on technology usage. The episode wrapped up with the “Geeks of the Week” segment, with Wes sharing the Ezra Klein Show podcast from September 12, 2023, “America’s Top Librarian on the Rise of Book Bans, the Amazon Prime movie, “A Million Miles Away,” and Jason sharing the AI website TheresAnAIforThat.com. Our show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and a custom GPT on ChatGPT 4, as well as options for our show title! Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. ChatGPT update enables its AI to “see, hear, and speak,“ according to OpenAI (ArsTechnica, 25 Sept 2023)
  10. ChatGPT can now see, hear, and speak (OpenAI blog, 25 Sept 2023)
  11. Bard can now connect to your Google apps and services (Google Blog, 19 Sept 2023)
  12. AI Lie: Machines Don’t Learn Like Humans (And Don’t Have the Right To) (Tom’s Hardware, 13 Sept 2023)
  13. Clearview AI
  14. Breaking Bard + Who Owns Your Face? + Gamer News! (Hard Fork Podcast, 22 Sept 2023)
  15. Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It by Kashmir Hill
  16. The Technology Facebook and Google Didn’t Dare Release (NY Times, 9 Sept 2023)
  17. [VIDEO] documentary: Microsoft & OpenAI CEOs: Dawn of the AI Wars | The Circuit with Emily Chang (Bloomberg Originals, late August 2023)
    • featuring interviews with Sam Altman of OpenAI & Satya Nadella of Microsoft. “AI moving from auto-pilot to co-pilot. Do NOT trust any 1 company or person with this technology.” (24 minutes)
  18. Share: Michigan Virtuals AI Toolkit for Schools
  19. Jason’s AI Resources: http://halfpint.link/aibrief 
  20. Demo of LLM Claude 2 generating answers to a New York Regents test. (4 min)
  21. OMG Jason Bought an iPhone 15 Pro!
  22. iPhone 15 Pro’s overheating issues possibly explained and a fix is on the way (Macworld; 27 September 2023)
  23. “Community Notes” on X / Twitter (A Good Example)
  24. Top librarian calls ‘Marxist lesbian’ tweet backlash ‘regrettable’ (NBC News, 7 Aug 2023)
  25. Ukrainian Drone Demo Thread (@saintjavelin, 18 Sept 2023)
  26. Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://theresanaiforthat.com/ 
  27. Wes’ Geeks of the Week:  America’s Top Librarian on the Rise of Book Bans (Ezra Klein Show, 12 Sept 2023) – “A Million Miles Away” (Amazon Prime)
Multimodal AI: Ethical Dilemmas” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 305 USB-C Apple Evolution

Welcome to episode 305 (“USB-C Apple Evolution”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 13, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (@wfryer@mastodon.cloud) delved into a range of exciting and significant topics in the tech world. Key discussions included the ongoing evolution of Apple’s products with a special focus on their transition to USB-C, reflecting a major shift in their design philosophy and user interface. The episode also highlighted advancements in AI and its burgeoning role in education, underscoring both the opportunities and challenges it presents to educators and students alike. Further, the hosts explored the broader tech landscape, discussing the current state of technology markets and the challenges facing tech companies as they navigate a period of correction and change. The conversation also ventured into the thrilling realm of space exploration, showcasing the latest developments and missions that continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge and capability. Ethics in technology, particularly regarding AI, formed a crucial part of the discussion, with insights into the latest guidelines and ethical considerations that are shaping the development and deployment of AI technologies. Throughout the episode, Dr. Neiffer and Dr. Fryer provided their expert analysis and perspectives, making complex topics accessible and engaging for their audience. “Geeks of the Week” included “AI Guidelines for Students” (from Wes) and the AI-powered meme generator “www.supermeme.ai” (from Jason.) Join us for this insightful episode as we explore the intersections of technology, education, and society. Stay savvy and safe!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. PROOF POINTS: It’s easy to fool ChatGPT detectors (The Hechinger Report; 4 September 2023)
  10. In Praise of Boring AI (One Useful Thing from Ethan Mollick; 2 August 2023)
  11. 6 tips to detect AI-generated student work (eSchool News; 6 September 2023)
  12. The iPhone Is Finally Getting USB-C. Here’s What That Means (Wired, 12 Sept 2023)
  13. France halts iPhone 12 sales over radiation levels (BBC News, 12 Sept 2023)
  14. United States takes on Google in biggest tech monopoly trial of 21st century (NPR, 11 Sept 2023)
  15. Judge in US v. Google trial didn’t know if Firefox is a browser or search engine (ArsTechnica, 12 Sept 2023)
  16. Just because Americans love Google doesn’t make it a monopoly. Biden lawsuit goes too far. (USA Today, 12 Sept 2023)
  17. Threads blocks searches related to covid and vaccines as cases rise (Washington Post, 11 Sept 2023) #GiftLink
  18. SpaceX says Starlink ‘network issue’ has been resolved (Verge, 12 Sept 2023)
  19. Japan launches ‘moon sniper’ lunar lander SLIM into space (Reuters, 7 Sept 2023)
  20. Coming Soon: A Brand New TextExpander for Chrome (Text Expander Blog; 12 September 2023)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: https://www.supermeme.ai/ 
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: AI Guidelines for Students
EdTechSR Ep 305 USB-C Apple Evolution” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

EdTechSR Ep 304 Privacy Laws, Please!

Welcome to episode 304 (“Privacy Laws, Please!”) of the EdTech Situation Room from September 6, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed exciting developments and educational impacts related to artificial intelligence (AI). They highlighted new AI-powered tools like Claude and Poe that summarize documents and provide customized assistance. Jason explained how these tools have streamlined his workflow, saving him hours of time processing information. The hosts also addressed concerns about generative AI, including the creation of inappropriate content. They analyzed the complications arising from open access to AI models. In addition, Jason and Wes talked about new Google Workspace features involving AI, like automated meeting summaries. They speculated on the future integration of AI into platforms like YouTube and Zoom. Shifting focus, the pair addressed updates involving Apple products, Huawei smartphones, and connected cars and privacy. They emphasized the need for privacy regulations. Discussion also centered on censorship and content moderation on social media platforms. Wrapping up, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including a TED talk from Sal Khan about AI in education, a podcast on political impacts of AI, and Khan Academy’s AI platform, Khanmigo. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. AI-generated child sex imagery has every US attorney general calling for action (ArsTechnica, 6 Sept 2023)
  10. Zoom’s New ‘AI Companion’ Will Catch You Up When You’re Late to Meetings (CNet, 6 Sept 2023)
  11. OpenAI seeks to dismiss majority of Sarah Silverman’s and authors’ claims in ChatGPT lawsuits (Venture Beat; 29 August 2023)
  12. Zoom’s New ‘AI Companion’ Will Catch You Up When You’re Late to Meetings (ZDNet, 6 Sept 2023)
  13. Poe.com: Quora’s “Metacrawler” of Chatbots (free version available; pro is $20/month)
  14. Perplexity.AI: Research-focused AI chat bot (free version available; pro is $20/month); quotes citations
  15. Connected cars are a “privacy nightmare,” Mozilla Foundation says (ArsTechnica, 6 Sept 2023)
  16. These academics studied falsehoods spread by Trump. Now the GOP wants answers (Washington Post, 6 June 2023)
  17. X sues hate speech researchers whose “scare campaign” spooked Twitter advertisers (ArsTechnica, 1 Aug 2023)
  18. A low-cost Macbook is reportedly in the works to take on Chromebooks (CHrome Unboxed; 5 September 2023)
  19. Now Available: Duet AI for Google Workspace (Google Workspace Blog; 29 August 2023)
  20. Google Docs just got a new AI-powered proofreading tool (ZDNet; 30 August 2023)
  21. Google Docs adds new AI-driven proofreading option to help you create high quality writing (Chrome Unboxed; 30 August 2023)
  22. Forget subtitles: YouTube now dubs videos with AI-generated voices (Rest of World; 27 July 2023)
  23. From the Yikes Department: Microsoft retracts AI-written article advising tourists to visit a food bank on an empty stomach (Engadget; 18 August 2023)
  24. All hail the new EU law that lets social media users quiet quit the algorithm (Tech Crunch; 25 August 2023)
  25. Huawei’s Mate 60 smartphone should have been impossible (Creative Bloq, 6 Sept 2023)
  26. For John Green, the Battle Over Access to Books Has Gotten Personal #GiftLink (NYTimes, 31 Aug 2023)
  27. Jason’s AI Workflow for Recorded Meeting Keyword Monitoring
    1. Download a podcast
    2. Create a transcript with Word 365 Online
    3. Run it through a LLM
    4. Prompt: As the Executive Director of the Montana State virtual school, I am interested in virtual education policies, technologies, and best practices for K-12 education. I am also focused on the development of study and online learning skills in students, educational technology, AI in education, and social studies and humanities education. Please provide a summary of an article that highlights the 5-10 major points most relevant to my role and context.
  28. Wes’ EdTechSR podcast summary workflow
    1. YouTubeTranscript.com
    1. Google Docs: Save as PDF
    2. Ingest into https://claude.ai/
    3. Saved prompt: Summarize in the style of this past example…
    4. Generate 10 clever, 3 word titles for the show…
  29. Jason’s Geek of the Week: Taking Seriously The Threats Posed by A.I., with Tristan Harris – 
  30. Wes’ Geek of the Week: How AI Could Save (Not Destroy) Education by Sal Khan – Khanmigo
…Privacy is a Function of Liberty – Ed” (CC BY 2.0) by PunkToad

EdTechSR Ep 303 Happy Birthday Google!

Welcome to Episode 303 (“Happy Birthday Google!”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 30, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a range of technology topics, analyizing the latest news at the intersection of education and technology. They covered the 25th Birthday of Google, developments in artificial intelligence, including Google’s new image generation tool in Google Slides, a watermarking technique from Google to help track AI-generated images, and Ideogram, a powerful new free AI image generation tool Neiffer discovered. Fryer shared insights on military AI, highlighting the US Air Force’s plans to use autonomous drone “wingmen” alongside human pilots. The hosts also talked about upcoming Apple announcements, anticipating the likely release of the iPhone 15. They weighed the potential benefits of switching to USB-C charging and the need for schools to adapt. Social media topics included Facebook’s staff cuts impacting content moderation, lawsuits against tech companies related to student mental health, and the risks of election misinformation with weakened oversight. In other news, hosts highlighted the new US Cybersecurity Trustmark for IoT devices and Google’s plans to integrate AI writing assistance across Chromebooks. For their “Geeks of the Week,” Fryer shared a tutorial on using Voice Memos for student oral history projects, and Neiffer highlighted a deal on the MacBook Air M1, praising its speed and value. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. OMG APPLE EVENT
  10. Google is 25 Years Old!!! (Android Police; 8 August 2023)
  11. AI images are getting harder to spot. Google thinks it has a solution (The Washington Post; 29 August 2032)🎁Link
  12. Guy Puts Artist Back Into AI System After He Begs to Be Removed (Futurism , 2 Aug 2023)
  13. Stephen Wolfram on Computational Thinking (Wes’ blog post from 7 Aug 2023)
  14. A.I. Brings the Robot Wingman to Aerial Combat (NY Times, 27 Aug 2023) 🎁Link
  15. AI Image Generation in Google Slides is Here (Flipped Classroom via YouTube)
  16. Google’s “Help Me Write” AI is coming to Chromebooks on a system-wide level (Chrome Unboxed; 25 August 2023)
  17. Following Elon Musk’s lead, Big Tech is surrendering to disinformation (Washington Post, 25 Aug 2023) 🎁Link
  18. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education sues social media companies over mental health impacts (25 Aug 2023) 
  19. The ‘US Cyber Trust Mark’ finally gives device makers a reason to spend big on security (TechCrunch, 23 Aug 2023)
  20. Jason’s Geek of the Week: MacBook Air M1 on Sale! 
  21. Wes’ Geek of the Week: [VIDEO] Sharing Voice Memos (Family Oral History Project) – full lesson
Google Birthday Box!” (CC BY 2.0) by clevercupcakes

EdTechSR Ep 302 AI Ethics Examined

Welcome to Episode 302 (“AI Ethics Examined”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 23, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Dr. Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed a variety of AI-related news stories and developments. They covered an Iowa school district’s controversial use of ChatGPT to identify books with sexual content, as well as concerns around the hacking of AI chatbots at the Defcon security conference. The hosts also talked about reconstructing songs from neural data, Dungeons & Dragons banning AI art, and the high costs associated with running AI models like ChatGPT. Jason and Wes further explored Apple’s stances on right-to-repair legislation, the company’s long history of planning for augmented reality headsets, and regulations in Europe and some US states aimed at curbing social media use and smartphone addiction among teenagers. In addition, they highlighted an upcoming floating workspaces feature in Chrome OS that could benefit classroom workflows. The episode wrapped up with the hosts sharing their “Geeks of the Week,” including an AI class offered by Jason’s school, using custom instructions to control ChatGPT’s verbosity, and a neurotechnology podcast that Wes recommended. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Montana Digital Academy offering new Artificial Intelligence course to high school students (KPAX; 16 August 2023)
  10. When Hackers Descended to Test A.I., They Found Flaws Aplenty (New York Times; 16 August 2023) 🎁Link
  11. OpenAI may have to wipe ChatGPT and start over (Boy Genius Report; 18 August 2023)
  12. Dungeons & Dragons tells illustrators to stop using AI to generate artwork for fantasy franchise (AP, 6 Aug 2023)
  13. Music can be reconstructed from human auditory cortex activity using nonlinear decoding models (Plos Biology, 15 Aug 2023)
  14. An Iowa school district is using ChatGPT to decide which books to ban (ArsTechnica, 16 Aug 2023)
  15. Using Generative AI to Resurrect the Dead Will Create a Burden for the Living (Wired, 21 Aug 2023)
  16. ChatGPT costs $700,000 daily, maker may go bankrupt in 2024: Report (Business Standard, 13 Aug 2023)
  17. The new ‘Floating Workspace’ feature is finally beginning to show up in ChromeOS Canary (Chrome Unboxed; 21 August 2023)
  18. Google opens eSignature beta for Google Docs and Google Drive (TechCrunch; 9 August 2023)
  19. Surprise: Apple now supports California’s right-to-repair (The Verge; 23 August 2023)
  20. Apple has been working on Vision Pro since the first iPhone launched (9 to 5 Mac; 23 August 2023)
  21. NASCAR driver Noah Gragson suspended from racing due to social media conduct (CNN, 5 Aug 2023)
  22. The EU wants to cure your teen’s smartphone addiction (Politico, 16 Aug 2023)
  23. Bill Simmons, Alex Cooper, Emma Chamberlain and 36 More on The Future of Podcasting (Hollywood Reporter, 21 Aug 2023)
  24. Jason’s Geek of the Week: “Custom Instructions” from Reddit 
  25. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: “What Is The Internet” playlist – Student YouTubers – Oloigies [PODCAST] Neurotechnology (AI + BRAIN TECH) with Nita Farahany
ETHICS” (CC BY 2.0) by DannonL

EdTechSR Ep 301 Adjusting to AI

Welcome to Episode 301 (“Adjusting to AI”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 16, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) reflected on the evolution of social media and technology over the past 15-20 years. Neiffer suggested today’s social media allows for curation of information by finding creators to follow. He and Fryer aim to elevate the conversation and share interesting findings as “filters” for each other and listeners. The pair touched on Neiffer’s recent presentations about AI to various administrator groups. He suggested policies and ongoing conversations as AI integrates into society and classrooms. Several AI-related articles were discussed. One covered Pearson expecting revenue growth from AI, showing publishers are embracing the technology. The hosts considered how API access allows companies to easily implement AI like ChatGPT. They speculated customized AI could be trusted more when trained on a publisher’s proprietary material. An interview between Lawrence Lessig and Tristan Harris highlighted the need for thoughtful AI regulation given its power. Neiffer praised Claude AI for aiming to align with human rights. He recommended “constitutional AI” (like Claude.ai) that explicitly identifies its values for “alignment.” Other topics included Google’s aggressive AI research, ChatGPT custom instructions, Apple’s satellite emergency SOS, the end of free accounts on Wakelet, and a lawsuit by far-right activists over leaked identities. The hosts emphasized the importance of media literacy regarding AI and social media. For his “Geek of the Week,” Fryer shared examples of using ChatGPT for practical classroom tasks like spreadsheets and rubrics. Neiffer highlighted an AI tool called Upscale that enhances low resolution images. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. Pearson eyes AI revenue growth but concedes some tools are imports of ChatGPT (Evening Standard; 31 July 2023)
  10. Project Gemini: Google wants to dethrone ChatGPT and others with yet another secret AI initiative (Chrome Unboxed; 16 August 2023)
  11. ChatGPT can now remember who you are and what you want (The Verge; 20 July 2023)
  12. Outstanding Larry Lessig #AnotherWay [PODCAST] “Taking Seriously The Threats Posed by A.I., with Tristan Harris”
  13. Family rescued from wildfires in Maui thanks to iPhone’s Emergency SOS via Satellite (9to5Mac, 9 Aug 2023)
  14. Wakelet Legacy & Premium Plans (Wakelet; 5 July 2025)
  15. Why has Wakelet introduced plans? (Wakelet)
  16. A better internet for readers (SubStack, 10 Aug 2023)
  17. Far-right Patriot Front members sue leftist activist for allegedly leaking their identities (Seattle Times, 8 Aug 2023)
  18. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: stelfiett.com – Personal ChatGPT Use Examples: Spreadsheet formulas – Assessment Rubric – AI Generated video with pictory.ai 
  19. Jason’s Geek of the Week: www.upscale.media
Galileo Supercomputer detail” (CC BY 2.0) by CINECA

EdTechSR Ep 300 Educators Eye AI Ethics

Welcome to Episode 300 (“Educators Eye AI Ethics”) of the EdTech Situation Room from August 2, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) welcomed viewers to the milestone 300th episode of the EdTech Situation Room on August 2, 2023. They discussed technology’s rapid advancements, particularly in artificial intelligence (AI), and how educators can thoughtfully integrate new tools into the classroom. The hosts reflected on the show’s history analyzing educational technology news over 299 prior episodes. They outlined the main topics to be covered, including AI, tech policy, Apple, Google, social media, and their weekly “Geeks of the Week” recommendations. Jason and Wes delved into several Google Chrome updates, examining their implications for users and schools. They critiqued proposed regulations cracking down on tech giants in Canada and Europe as going too far in restricting online linking and personalized ads. However, the hosts agreed greater privacy protections are needed in the U.S. Shifting to AI, the hosts were excited by Claude, Anthropic’s new AI chatbot alternative to ChatGPT. They were impressed with Claude’s ability to mimic a user’s writing style when provided samples and to generate content based on analyzing uploaded PDFs. Jason and Wes discussed AI’s potential to transform assessments, emphasizing the need for educators to thoughtfully integrate it into their practice. They also covered several other AI topics, including ethical AI development, using AI in Hollywood productions, and the Worldcoin project linking cryptocurrency to biometric facial/retinal scanning. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including downloadable instructions for 6800 Lego kits and the Google Robotics Lab Segment of the July 28th New York Times Hard Fork Podcast. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. What Is Worldcoin? Here’s What To Know About The Eyeball-Scanning Crypto Project Launched By OpenAI’s Sam Altman (Forbes, 24 July 2023)
  10. Netflix Pulls AI Content Creation From Job Listing After Backlash (Newswekk; 31 July 2023)
  11. The Writers’ Strike Over AI Is Bigger Than Hollywood (The Markup; 29 July 2023)
  12. Google will ‘supercharge’ Assistant with AI that’s more like ChatGPT and Bard (The Verge; 31 July 2023)
  13. Dario Amodei, C.E.O. of Anthropic, on the Paradoxes of A.I. Safety and Netflix’s ‘Deep Fake Love’’ (New York TImes; 21 July 2023)
  14. OpEd: Lindsey Graham and Elizabeth Warren: When It Comes to Big Tech, Enough Is Enough (NYTimes, 27 July 2023) #GiftLink
  15. Meta loses battle in EU, will ask for consent to show personalized ads (ArsTechnica, 1 Aug 2023)
  16. Elon Musk’s Unmatched Power in the Stars (NYTimes, 28 July 2023) #GiftLink 
  17. Meta starts blocking news in Canada over law on paying publishers (Reuters, 1 Aug 2023)
  18. Google Chrome officially removing the download bar for a new tray UI (9to5Google, 2 Aug 2023)
  19. First look at the new Microsoft 365 Chromebook integration (About Chromebooks; 24 July 2023)
  20. ‘No sign’ Apple will launch generative AI in 2024, says Kuo (9to5Mac, 2 Aug 2023)
  21. Jason’s Geek of the Week: You Can Download Instructions for More Than 6,800 LEGO Kits for Free (LifeHacker; 29 July 2023)
  22. Wes’ Geek of the Week: Google Robotics Lab Segment, NYT Hard Fork Podcast (28 July 2023, at 40:00) – Mastodon share
Anders Sandberg on the Ethics of Uploadi” (CC BY 2.0) by david.orban

EdTechSR Ep 299 Truth Over Trickery

Welcome to Episode 299 (“Truth Over Trickery”) of the EdTech Situation Room from July 26, 2023, where technology news meets educational analysis. This week, Dr. Jason Neiffer (@techsavvyteach) and Wesley Fryer (wesfryer.com/after) discussed recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative language models. They reviewed several articles, including concerns that ChatGPT is becoming less functional over time and may be losing capabilities. The hosts explored issues around copyright infringement and intellectual property regarding large language models trained on copyrighted content, sparked by comedian Sarah Silverman’s lawsuit against OpenAI. They dove into the implications of AI influencers, election interference threats, and new AI products like Anthropic’s Claude model and Google’s Notebook LM note-taking tool. Throughout, Jason and Wes emphasized the need for transparency and ethical principles in AI development. They argued homework and assessments may need to be reconsidered in light of generative language models. The hosts also covered social media trends, security issues, and the importance of media literacy. They promoted critical thinking and authentic creation in classrooms. In closing, Jason and Wes shared their “Geeks of the Week,” including the historical audio tour app autio.com, the “Airalo E-Sims” product for travelers, an upcoming free AI conference, and several upcoming edtech conferences with option presenter calls: NCCE 2024 and DLAC 2024. The show was live-streamed and archived simultaneously on YouTube Live as well as Facebook Live via StreamYard.com. Please follow @edtechSR on Twitter and @edtechsr@mastodon.education on Mastodon for updates, and join LIVE on Wednesday nights if you can. All shownotes are available on edtechSR.com/links. AI Disclosure: An initial draft of this episode summary was generated using youtubetranscript.com and claude.ai, as well as options for our show title!

Shownotes

  1. Subscribe to our EdTechSR Substack Newsletter!
  2. EdTech Situation Room Listener Survey: wfryer.me/edtechsr
  3. Follow @edtechSR on Twitter!
  4. Audio podcast feed (Subscribe with iTunes or Stitcher)
  5. Video version on YouTube
  6. Check out our video podcast feed and subscribe to our YouTube Channel (episodes also in this YouTube playlist)
  7. Jason Neiffer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@neif – Twitter: @techsavvyteach) – blog: blog.ncce.org
  8. Wes Fryer (Mastodon: mastodon.cloud/@wfryer Twitter: @wfryer) – wesfryer.com/after
  9. GPT-4 is becoming less functional (Ethan Mollick, Twitter)
  10. The Homework Apocalypse (Ethan Mollick, One Useful Thing; 1 July 2023)
  11. What to Know About Claude 2, Anthropic’s Rival to ChatGPT (Time; 18 July 2023)
  12. Claude 2
  13. AI learned from their work. Now they want compensation (Washington Post; 16 July 2023)
  14. NotebookLM is Google’s new AI-driven notes app that is official as of today (Chrome Unboxed; 12 July 2023)
  15. Apple Tests ‘Apple GPT,’ Develops Generative AI Tools to Catch OpenAI (Bloomberg; 19 July 2023)
  16. Intelligence nominee warns generative AI poses threat to 2024 elections (Politico, 20 July 2023)
  17. Fully AI-Generated Influencers Are Getting Thousands of Reactions Per Thirst Trap (Futurism, 20 July 2023)
  18. Digital Avatars and Our Refusal to Die (LongNow, 21 July 2023)
  19. ByteDance Releases CapCut Plugin For ChatGPT (Search Engine Journal, 15 July 2023)
  20. The Once and Future ISTE (eSchool News; 13 July 2023)
  21. Threads now has ‘tens of millions’ of daily users. But its honeymoon phase may be over (CNN Business; 19 July 2023)
  22. Twitter replaces its bird logo with an X as part of Elon Musk’s plan for a super app (NPR, 24 July 2023)
  23. Wes’ Geeks of the Week: Autio and AI x Education Conference (Aug 5-6)
  24. Jason’s Geeks of the Week: Conference Presentation Opportunities at NCCE 2024 and DLAC 2024 – Travel pro-tip: Airalo E-Sims
The Making of Harry Potter” (CC BY 2.0) by Dave Catchpole